To Moms with Messy Homes

Papa M comes home at 7pm on Mondays and Wednesdays now, which is a lot harder for me since I’m used to having help to make dinner and get Man-cub D to bed. So when Papa M came home on Monday, he was greeted by a shirtless, exuberant Man-cub D who accidentally somersaulted off the couch in excitement. I was cleaning up after a very late dinner, and each room in our house had a different disaster on the floor. It was the worst the apartment has been in a long time.

I was feeling overwhelmed and defensive, and I mentally geared up for some kind of comment on my housekeeping abilities. Thankfully, Papa M is better than that. All he said as he surveyed the damage was, “You’re a great mom.”

Wow!

Looking at the various messes, you could definitely tell that Man-cub D had had the time of his life that evening. And he was thoroughly enjoying his shirtless condition bouncing on top of the couch. At that moment, Man-cub D probably would have agreed that I was an awesome mom.

So to the mamas who have messy houses, tell yourselves that you’re a great mom. Because mothering is about your kids, not your house. A mother does not equal a housekeeper, although they often fill that role too. Often messes mean that instead of focusing on picking everything up, you focused your efforts on playing with your kids and getting other important tasks done.

And the messes eventually get picked up. Even if it’s by Papa M when he comes home from work.